Georgia offers two merit-based scholarships to in-state college students: HOPE Scholarships, which provide partial tuition support, and Zell Miller Scholarships, which provide full tuition support but with stricter eligibility and retention conditions. Studies have examined retention of these scholarships but not other dynamics, including gaining…

Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) offer parents a publicly funded, government-authorized savings account they can draw on for certain K-12 educational expenses. As these programs have expanded in recent years, they have become a flashpoint in education policy debates. For some, ESAs are an extension of existing private school choice programs'…

Since 1995, publicly funded pre-K with universal eligibility has proliferated across the U.S. Universal pre-K (UPK) operates at great scale and serves children with a wide range of alternative childcare options. Because these programs are relatively young, very little is known about their long-run impacts on children. In this paper, I use a…

This paper examines the New York State Excelsior Scholarship and the criteria that must be met for students to be eligible to receive it. The main focus of this examination is how this scholarship aims to address access issues faced by students from low income families and how the program can be improved to better address their needs. Comparisons…

Tax credit scholarship (TCS) programs offer state tax credits to individuals or businesses that donate to scholarship funds for students to attend private elementary and secondary schools. Through these credits, donors may reduce the amount they owe in state taxes by the full or a partial amount of their donation, depending on each program's…

In order to inform the Indiana State Board of Education's decision-making on Indiana's On My Way Pre-K Pilot program, researchers at the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy (CEEP) at Indiana University compiled existing data on ten states that have implemented pilot pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) programs and subsequently expanded these programs…

Since its inception in 1993, Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program has provided thousands of state residents the opportunity to pursue a college education. This study examines the history and recent changes to the merit-based program along with interesting consequences resulting from its implementation. This study demonstrates how the program has…

Purpose/Objectives: The Direct Verification Pilot tested the feasibility, effectiveness, and costs of using Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) data to verify applications for free and reduced-price (FRP) school meals instead of obtaining documentation from parents and guardians. Methods: The Direct Verification Pilot…

The document outlines the Georgia State Plan for providing special programs to gifted students within the public schools. Section I covers legal authorizations for special education services including state statutes, state board of education policies, and federal regulations and statutes. The primary responsibilities of state department of…

Information about Georgia's Special Instructional Assistance Program (SIA) is presented. The program is designed to serve children in kindergarten through grade five who are functioning below the normal expectations for their age range, usually as a result of deficient language and cognitive development. The vast majority of SIA teaching and…

The purpose of this resource manual is to help local education agencies implement state mandated requirements and provide effective programs for mildly mentally retarded students in Georgia. The first section presents definitions and eligibility criteria for the mildly mentally handicapped. A section on due process considers screening, referral,…

This guide details the 2003-2004 program guidelines for Georgia prekindergarten programs, designed to assist educators in providing a quality educational prekindergarten program to eligible 4-year-olds and their families. Guidelines are delineated in six major areas: (1) operation and services, including eligibility, enrollment, instructional…